another 13.1 down

[ilanarama]

Well, I finished the half marathon, but I didn't make my goal of breaking 2 hours. Which is probably because 1) I was coming back from an injury that really cut a hole in my training, 2) I tried to stay with three other runners going for 9 minute miles, and I knew it was too fast for me, and I stayed with them for 7 miles, which probably wasn't good strategy as this is the first time I haven't made negative splits, and 3) JEEBUS IT'S HOT. Over 70 at the start, 83 at the (uphill and unshaded) finish. Not sure what my time was exactly, but 2:03-ish, which is worse than my first half some years back. Oh, well.

Comments

[thalia]

Good job for finishing, anyway! And I'd say that's a really good time for such warm weather.

[ilanarama.livejournal.com]

Thank you! The winner didn't seem to mind the hot weather, but he was from Alabama :-)

Also, a friend wants me to do the Chicago marathon with her in 2009, so maybe I'll see you then!

[thalia]

Oh, that would be great! I'd come cheer! You'd love it--it's a flat course, and there's tons of oxygen. [g]

[meri-oddities.livejournal.com]

2:03 might not be your goal time, but really, it's not awful. What is that, about 9:15?

I know all about going out too fast. It's just too easy to do, I think. I do it every race, it seems.

[ilanarama.livejournal.com]

9:24, and you're right, not awful. In fact I came in 8/32 women over 40, so I guess that's all right!

[meri-oddities.livejournal.com]

8/32 is good in my book. I'm a lot slower than you, of course, my best half was 2:05.

[ilanarama.livejournal.com]

Yeah, well, I'm younger and skinnier :-) What's your goal for Baltimore? I want to do less than 4 hours - my best marathon is 4:07 so I figure, sea level plus training all summer will get me there.

[meri-oddities.livejournal.com]

I'd like to do 4:40, but I'll settle for being under 5 hours. It might be at sea level, but it's got some serious hills, or so I've been told. I also hear the course is through all the little neighborhoods in Baltimore, which is cool since that kind of thing keeps me occupied. *g*

[ilanarama.livejournal.com]

It sounds like you'd be a perfect running partner for my friend Kristen, who is interested in coming. She was the race director for the half I did - her first time! I think her best time is around 5 hours.

[meri-oddities.livejournal.com]

We could certainly start together. I run 7/1. I hope to keep a real even 10:45-11:00 minute pace. I'm still pretty far out, so maybe I'll get faster, but I'm not that worried about it. I want to be able to keep doing the distance w/o injury.

[dementordelta.livejournal.com]

Whoa--go you!

[ilanarama.livejournal.com]

Thank you!

[jeddy83.livejournal.com]

Aww, you are too hard on yourself sometimes. Most people would be ecstatic with that time let alone doing it after spending months hindered by a back injury.

[ilanarama.livejournal.com]

Hee, yeah, I'm just overly competitive, I think. As I said to Meri above, it worked out to be 8th out of 32 women in my age class, and actually, 38/115 women total, so I should not complain.

[eejitalmuppet.livejournal.com]

Congrats on another finish. Did the event take place at altitude, to add to the fun?

[ilanarama.livejournal.com]

But of course! Although I should be used to it, considering I live here (and I spent the past 3 days at another 3000 feet more than this). I am planning to run the Baltimore Marathon in October, though, and I'm looking forward to sea level, although one of the guys working an aid station here actually couldn't run this half because he'd gone to LA to do a marathon there, had run to the level of his lungs, and injured his legs which weren't used to it. So I guess I need to be cautious.

[barkley.livejournal.com]

Congrats for finishing even with the training difficulties!

[ilanarama.livejournal.com]

Thank you!

[(Anonymous)]

Great job! You sound like me though, figuring out how you did vs, expectations, what you might do next time... . Don't neglect to just bask in the glow of accomplishment.

Side note: I always do worse among my own demographic than I do compared to all runners. That is, men in their 40s all seem so damn hard-core about running, so I fare poorly in that group. I need those twenty-somethings who have no idea what they've gotten into to pad the lower percentiles.

[avantbard.livejournal.com]

[Sorry for doubled comment; neglected login...]

Great job! You sound like me though, figuring out how you did vs, expectations, what you might do next time... . Don't neglect to just bask in the glow of accomplishment.

Side note: I always do worse among my own demographic than I do compared to all runners. That is, men in their 40s all seem so damn hard-core about running, so I fare poorly in that group. I need those twenty-somethings who have no idea what they've gotten into to pad the lower percentiles.

[revbiscuit.livejournal.com]

Side note: I always do worse among my own demographic than I do compared to all runners.<\i>

LOL! Me too. Women in their 40s are the same in my neck of the woods, and in mixed races I'm more likely to go past men in their 30s than my peers. It's fascinating to observe. And I always give thanks for all the 20somethings who turn up with raging hangovers, for there is nothing quite like skipping past someone young enough to be your child. *g*

[ilanarama.livejournal.com]

Hee! In Colorado, everyone's hardcore, so it doesn't matter, I always seem to come in 1/4 to 1/3 of the way down. But I do love passing the young people. Also, I love passing men. This time, there wasn't much passing going on, alas, but the two marathons I did, I got very stoked passing people toward the end.

[ilanarama.livejournal.com]

Oh, I am always over-analyzing things - I think it's a geek characteristic.

And the thing is, in Colorado, everyone is so damn hard-core! This was a relatively small race, so we had only three bins - under 40, 40-59, and 60+. If I had been 39, I would have come in 31/80, which is not as good in relative standing - but still, PLENTY of women behind me.

The guy who won came in with 1:15:xx, which is just superhuman. And the top woman came in fourth overall, which is also pretty amazing.

[revbiscuit.livejournal.com]

Well done! I always find the heat bothers me more than it should. As far as I'm concerned all races should be organised where the weather is overcast, the temperature no higher than 13degC and, if possible, with a nice light drizzle. Not that I'm picky or anything.

[ilanarama.livejournal.com]

GOD YES. The second marathon I did, the weather was cool and overcast, and it was SO NICE.

[zebra363.livejournal.com]

As you say, that's pretty warm weather for distance running! My one and only half marathon was 2:04 on a mostly flat course in spring Perth weather of about 21 degrees C, so very easy conditions!

Good luck with your marathon training!

[ilanarama.livejournal.com]

Thank you!

[mlyn.livejournal.com]

Congratulations! Hey—you finished, period. That in itself is phenomenal. You should be so proud, because I'm proud for you. :D